All men will be Peters in their bragging tongue, and most men will be Peters in their base denial; but few men will be Peters in their quick repentance.

To go to law is for two persons to kindle a fire, at their own cost, to warm others and singe themselves to cinders; and because they cannot agree as to what is truth and equity, they will both agree to unplume themselves that others may be decorated with their feathers.

Negligence is the rust of the soul that corrodes through all her best resolves.

Perfection is immutable. But for things imperfect, change is the way to perfect them.

Discontent is like ink poured into water, which fills the whole fountain full of blackness.

He that, when he should not, spends too much, shall, when he would not, have too little to spend.

Human life has not a surer friend, nor oftentimes a greater enemy, than hope. It is the miserable man's god, which in the hardest gripe of calamity never fails to yield to him beams of comfort. It is the presumptuous man's devil, which leads him a while in a smooth way, and then suddenly breaks his neck.